Softball notebook

Tuesday, April 21, 1998

Softball notebook

Bruins can’t get a

handle on first game

The UCLA softball team has a split personality. They are
notorious in the Pac-10 for playing the first game of their
doubleheaders weakly and then coming back strong in the second
game, even though they play with roughly the same lineup.

The Bruins fulfilled this destiny by winning both of the second
games against Oregon and Oregon State this weekend after losing
both openers of the doubleheaders.

"It takes a little something to get us going," UCLA firstbaseman
Kim Wuest said. "We realize that we’re not playing well, and we
pick it up for the second game."

In the 1998 season, the Bruins have yet to win the first game of
a doubleheader.

Trade just changes places, not players

Bruin fans might have noticed that something wasn’t quite right
with the UCLA defense over the weekend. Senior Nicole Odom wasn’t
in her normal spot at shortstop, and freshman utility player Casey
Hirawiwa had taken her place. Odom wasn’t removed from the UCLA
infield entirely. She just moved a few feet to her right to third
base. Odom, who was a career third baseman before coming to UCLA,
was right at home.

"I have to credit both Casey and Odom because we flipflopped
them literally on Friday and both of them have a lot of confidence
in their ability to be able to make the adjustment," Enquist
said.

Casey Hirawiwa

runs hot and cold

Hirawiwa was on fire in Saturday’s games against the Oregon
Ducks. She went 4-for-6 with two runs scored in the doubleheader.
Hirawiwa contributed in a big way to the Bruins’ 10-4 win over the
Ducks by going a perfect 3-for-3. She also played both games at
shortstop without committing a single error. With this weekend’s
performance her batting average improves to .289.

Wuest smacks

two more homers

Kim Wuest continued her home-run binge, blasting two more,
giving her 11 on the season. Her fifth-inning two-run homer off
Oregon State pitcher Brooke Hofstetter evened the score at five and
helped the Bruins to edge out the Beavers in game two.

"When I try to hit it out I pop it up, so I just go out there
and think ‘hit the ball hard,’" Wuest said.

If only it could be that easy for everyone.

Notes compiled by Kimberley Edds, Daily Bruin Contributor.